Seven document scanner apps on Google Play in India: Adobe Scan and Google Drive save scans to a cloud account. Kaagaz, an Indian app, can be used in Hindi and 10 other languages besides English, and gives 100 MB of free cloud storage. Genius Scan, FairScan and OSS Document Scanner process scans on the phone. DocIt, which we make, keeps documents encrypted on an Android phone and watches their expiry dates.
Last checked 28 October 2026. Each fact comes from the app's own Play Store listing for India, linked at the end. We didn't score or rank the apps; they are listed in alphabetical order.
Why people in India look for a CamScanner alternative
CamScanner was one of the 59 apps the Ministry of Electronics and IT blocked on 29 June 2020 under section 69A of the IT Act. When we looked for its Google Play page with India selected on 28 October 2026, Play showed a "Not found" page. People who used it for forms, assignments and office work need something else.
How we compared them
- What we read: each app's Google Play listing with India selected, and its App Store India page to check for an iPhone version. All on 28 October 2026.
- What we recorded: the download range Play shows, the "Contains ads" and "In-app purchases" labels, what the listing says about where scans are kept, text reading, and platforms.
- What we didn't do: we didn't run tests, score the apps or use star ratings. Ratings change daily, and DocIt has too few to compare fairly. If a listing doesn't mention something, the table says "not stated", not "no".
- Why these seven: two big names (Adobe Scan, Google Drive), the Indian app Kaagaz, a scanner with a paid plan that processes scans on the phone (Genius Scan), two free open-source scanners (FairScan, OSS Document Scanner), and DocIt. We make DocIt, so read its rows with that in mind.
Seven scanner apps compared
| App | Play downloads | Ads, in-app purchases | Where scans go (per listing) | Text reading (OCR) | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Scan | 100M+ | No ads label; in-app purchases | Saved to Adobe Document Cloud automatically | Yes; a subscription raises it from 5 to 100 pages | Android, iPhone |
| DocIt | 10K+ (includes the older DocIt app on the same listing) | No ads; no in-app purchases | Encrypted on your phone; no account, no DocIt server | Yes, copy text; English-style letters only | Android only |
| FairScan | 50K+ | No ads; free and open source | On your phone; no account, no built-in cloud | Yes, more than 100 languages | Android |
| Genius Scan | 1Cr+ | No ads label; in-app purchases | On-device processing; backup and sync between devices listed | Yes, searchable PDFs | Android, iPhone |
| Google Drive | 10B+ | No ads label; in-app purchases (extra storage) | Uploaded to your Google Drive; 15 GB free, shared with Gmail and Photos | Not stated for scans | Android, iPhone |
| Kaagaz | 1Cr+ | Contains ads; in-app purchases | No sign-in needed; Kaagaz Cloud with 100 MB free; listing calls it completely offline | Not stated | Android, iPhone |
| OSS Document Scanner | 1L+ | No ads label; free and open source | On your phone; optional sync to WebDAV, Google Drive or OneDrive | Yes, offline models you download | Android, iPhone |
From each app's Google Play listing for India and App Store India page, checked 28 October 2026. Listings change, so check the store before you install.
The apps, one by one
Adobe Scan
From the maker of Acrobat. Its listing describes border detection, a Magic eraser for fingers, shadows and stains, OCR, export to Word, Excel or PowerPoint, and AI summaries of scans. It says scans are automatically saved to Adobe Document Cloud, so you can open them on a computer too. A subscription combines scans into one file and raises OCR from 5 to 100 pages. A good fit if you already use Acrobat and want your scans in the cloud.
DocIt
DocIt is built for keeping important documents, not only for making PDFs. It scans with automatic edge detection and crop, up to 20 pages into one PDF, and reads the page on the phone to suggest a name, number and expiry date for you to check. Files are encrypted on your phone with AES-256. There are no ads, no sign-up and no watermark, and we have no server, so your documents never reach us. Turn reminders on and it reminds you 30, 7 and 1 day before a document expires. It also makes PDFs and photos smaller for forms, splits PDFs and puts both sides of an ID card on one page. More about DocIt's scanner
FairScan
A free, open-source scanner that describes itself as having no ads, no tracking and no built-in cloud. Its listing says it doesn't upload or sync scans, has no watermarks or page limits, and uses the internet only to download OCR languages. It makes searchable PDFs and can recognise text in more than 100 languages. Android only.
Genius Scan
Made by The Grizzly Labs in Paris, and on Play with 1Cr+ downloads. Its listing lists on-device document processing, biometric unlock and PDF encryption, merging and splitting PDFs, tagging and content search, OCR with searchable PDFs, and backup and sync between devices. It exports to email and services such as Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive. A strong choice if you want a full PDF scanner on Android and iPhone.
Google Drive
If Drive is on your phone, you already have a scanner. The listing says you can "scan and upload paper documents using your device's camera", and Google accounts get 15 GB shared across Drive, Gmail and Google Photos, with more storage as an in-app purchase. It costs nothing extra and needs no new app. Your scans go to your Google account, which suits people who want copies in the cloud.
Kaagaz
An Indian scanner, on Play with 1Cr+ downloads. Its listing mentions no watermark and no sign-in, scanning both sides of an ID card on one page, PDF signing, merging, compressing and splitting, and a document password remover. The app can be used in 12 languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Hinglish. It offers 100 MB of free Kaagaz Cloud storage and uploads to Google Drive or Dropbox. Play shows that it contains ads and in-app purchases.
OSS Document Scanner
A free, open-source scanner from Akylas, on Android and iPhone. Its listing describes edge detection, bulk scanning, filters, folders, password-protected PDFs and OCR with open-source models you download first, so it works offline. If you want copies elsewhere, it can sync to WebDAV, Google Drive or OneDrive.
What DocIt doesn't do
- Android only. There's no iPhone app.
- No scan to Word. DocIt saves images and PDFs. Adobe Scan's listing offers export to Word.
- No sync between phones. Documents stay on the phone you saved them on. Genius Scan and OSS Document Scanner list sync.
- English-style letters only. DocIt reads and copies text in Latin script, not Hindi or other Indian scripts, and the app is in English. Kaagaz offers 12 app languages; FairScan reads more than 100.
- Search covers names and numbers. You find a document by its name, type, number or description, not by a word inside it. FairScan and Genius Scan make searchable PDFs.
- Small and new. Far fewer people use DocIt than the other apps here.
Which one fits you
- You want scans in the cloud, on a computer too: Adobe Scan or Google Drive.
- You want the app in Hindi or another Indian language: Kaagaz.
- You want a full PDF scanner that processes scans on the phone, on Android or iPhone: Genius Scan or OSS Document Scanner.
- You want the simplest free scanner with no cloud: FairScan.
- You want IDs, policies and bills kept encrypted on your phone, with expiry reminders: DocIt, if you're on Android.
If you only scan now and then, you may not need a new app: how to scan documents with your Android phone shows the scanners already in Google Drive, Files by Google and Samsung phones.
Whichever you pick, lock your phone with a PIN or fingerprint and keep it updated. That protects your scans more than any single app setting.
Where to keep your important documents on your phone · DocIt's document wallet · How DocIt protects your documents, and its limits · Google Drive, Adobe Scan and Files by Google: where each keeps your documents
Sources
All checked on 28 October 2026. Play pages viewed with India selected.
- Press Information Bureau, 29 June 2020: Government bans 59 mobile apps
- CamScanner on Google Play, India (showed "Not found")
- Adobe Scan on Google Play and on the App Store
- DocIt on Google Play
- FairScan on Google Play
- Genius Scan on Google Play and on the App Store
- Google Drive on Google Play and on the App Store
- Kaagaz on Google Play and on the App Store
- OSS Document Scanner on Google Play and on the App Store
Spot something out of date? Email hello@docit.one and we'll check it and correct the page.